Around the World in the Good Ship DOGGEREL, 66

A doggerel series about the countries of the world.

Greece.

I think of Greece: The Golden Fleece!

And frequent war (as well as peace).

I think of wise old Sophocles—

Whose plays enjoy each new reprise.

And Plato and his Socrates—

That hemlock brought him to his knees!

The Parthenon—those randy gods

Who had such ripped and ready bods.

And Aristotle—what a mind!

A rare and very precious kind.

Remember Aristophanes?

Whose plays still stun and always please.

Odysseus and Penelope—

It took some time for him to free

Himself, to kill those greedy dudes

Who had such selfish attitudes.

(Lord Byron died there--what a shame!

But he's retained his name and fame.)

Oh, all those stories! All that myth!

So long we’ve been acquainted with

It all. And then … democracy.

But will it linger? We will see.

To Greece we owe enormous debt—
A gift that we cannot forget.

Around the World in the Good Ship DOGGEREL, 65

A doggerel series about the countries of the world.

Ghana.

Now, Ghana was the Gold Coast when

I was in seventh grade

And had a class (geography)—

And a report I made

On Ghana. But I copied it—

The World Book (very neat).

I was so proud of that report—

It seemed, well, such a feat.

Now, Ghana's on the western coast

Of Africa. And has

Some history of slavery

But now is noted as

A place where empires came and went—

Where varied wildlife roam—

A place where for millennia

Some tribes had made a home.

But I still think about that kid—

Of oh so long ago

Who wrote that paper—and who thought

His teacher wouldn’t know.

(She did.)

Around the World in the Good Ship DOGGEREL, 64

A doggerel series about the countries of the world.

Germany.

I’ve spent some time in Germany—

I’ve driven on the Autobahn.

I saw as much as I could see

By starting every day at dawn.

I visited historic sites.

I took a cruise—the river Rhine.

I drove up into alpine heights

And toured that Castle Frankenstein.

My dad was there. That World War.

I saw some places he had been.

Like Dachau—rotten to the core.

I saw where young Anne Frank had been.

Cathedrals and those little towns

That look like famous works of art.

The rivers, restaurants—ups and downs.

Such evidence of mind and heart!

Around the World in the Good Ship DOGGEREL, 63

A doggerel series about the countries of the world.

Georgia.

No longer is it Soviet—

They’re thrilled about it—yes, you bet!

It sits there on the eastern shore—

The Black Sea—and there’s so much more

About the country’s history—

Its varied rich geography:

From mountains that seem everywhere—

And swamps and farmland? They are there.

For farming, forests have been cleared,

So it is not what it appeared

To be so long ago …

          I  find

That I’ve got Georgia on my mind!

Around the World in the Good Ship DOGGEREL. 62

A doggerel series about the countries of the world.

Gambia.

It’s got a narrow strip of coast

That doesn’t give much room to boast

In Africa.

But it is full of wonders there—

The animals, the jungle lair

In Africa.

Surrounding it is Senegal—

A map designed by Roald Dahl

In Africa?!?

Some history of slavery—

Though now those folks are often free

In Africa.

It’s got some crocs; it’s got some snakes—

And that is all it really takes

In Africa ...

To keep me home.

Around the World in the Good Ship DOGGEREL, 61

A doggerel series about the countries of the world.

Gabon.

Gabon lies on the eastern coast

Of Africa. It is well-known

That it has parks (oh, yes, Gabon!)

That people like to see the most.

Gorillas roam there—buffalo

Are there as well. And elephants.

You hear some scary roars and grunts—

But, still, a place I’d love to go.

They also have petroleum

In vast reserves. They have it all—

From jungles, oil, a monkey’s call.

To me it says: “Oh, you should come!”

Around the World in the Good Ship DOGGEREL, 60

A doggerel series about the countries of the world.

France.

I’ve been to France! And I’ve traversed

A bunch of it by train

Before I entered Switzerland—

Will I do it again?

I don’t speak French—my mother did—

My older brother, too.

But I took Latin, German—it

Was much for me to do!

I loved the countryside I saw—

The lights of Paris—yes!

I loved the Alps that we besieged—

The rivers, towns, the rest.

And then, of course, that history!

That literature, as well!

I once read Proust (in English—duh!),

Who had a tale to tell,

The greatest books I’ve ever read—

Will likely ever read.

I think of France—it all comes back—

And in my dreams I speed

Across that fabled countryside—

And I’m no longer old—

With memories and fondness for

Those great tales greatly told.